The sugar industry future -- Il-futur tal-industrija taz-zokkor

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A few weeks ago, there was much ado in Australia about sugar content in food. The Australian Medical Association (AMA) made its concern known about the negative implications to human health of added sugar content in processed food, and in drinks with high sugar content.

The AMA, amongst other recommendations, proposed a tax on drinks with added sugar in order to reduce consumption; that people be encouraged to drink water instead; that the food industry reduce portion sizes as well as sugar, salt and fat content in processed food.1

The Federal Government immediately declared it was against the idea of a sugar tax, as it had done when the idea had been brought up a few years ago.2 It is known that the food industry is strongly against such a step, which has the potential of reducing sales in many products containing added sugar.

Personally speaking, I have never understood how a soft drink bottle, full of sugar, costing less than a bottle of water in the supermarket. If a buyer is hard up for cash, it is easy to understand how he/she would purchase the cheapest, where decisions on the family’s nutrition ends up being purely an economic one. With this background I understand, and agree with, the calls by the AMA.

It is easy to turn on the food industry and accuse them of placing profits before human health. Nevertheless I wanted to make an observation on part of this industry, which produces sugar in the fertile sugar cane fields of Australia, especially Queensland, and industry that has provided so many work opportunities, back breaking even, to the pioneers of Maltese immigration into this country, some of whom are still involved in a big way today.

This industry is massive. Sugar is the second biggest farming product exported from Australia, after wheat, with an income of around $2 billion. 95% is produced in Queensland and the rest in northern NSW. 80-85% of the product is exported, and Australia is the second (or third depending on who you ask) biggest exporter in the world behind Brasil. It is said that the industry employs 40,000 people.3

I understand it is sensitive to talk about an industry that provides the livelihood to so many people, nevertheless I was surprised to read about Fiona Nash, previously Senator of the National Party and Minister for Rural Health, having declared that she didn’t even want to discuss the matter.4

I do understand an industry standing up for its interests, although I won’t get into the irony of a minister for health prioritising industry over health. Nevertheless, I do ask why not even discuss the subject? Is it not through discussion that problems are identified and solutions crafted?

I understand the fear that a tax imposed on added sugar can lead, as expected, to a reduction in sugar consumed as food by Australians, which leads to a reduction in revenue from this source. However this reduction in revenue can be compensated by other revenue, one that has a significant potential for growth.

I’m referring to the biofuel industry, primarily ethanol, which is produced by the fermentation of glucose which in turn is derived, amongst other sources, from sugar cane.5 Today in Australia it’s common for drivers of petrol vehicles to purchase E10, a mix of 90% petrol and 10% ethanol, without the necessity of modification to the vehicle’s engine. States like NSW have legislated for 6% of petrol purchased in this state be ethanol, and in Queensland this figure is 3%.6

These targets can be increased by state governments, which leads to a higher need for the raw materials for manufacture, including from sugar cane. Promotion can also be made of other biofuel mixes containing ethanol in a ratio higher than 10%, most common amongst which are E25 (in Brazil), E85 (in the US and Sweden) and E100 (in Brazil). These need engine modifications, therefore the introduction of these biofuels is necessarily slower, however if you never start you never get there.

The presence of Brazil in the biofuel landscape is notable, as it’s clear that as a global producer of sugar cane it’s doing all it can to broaden the market for this product of national importance, and exploit this resource as much as it can, and has been on this track since the seventies. Is this strategic thinking impossible to be made in Australia?

After all, E85 already exists in Australia, produced by Caltex and United Petroleum, and used mostly in racing cars. Where is its promotion for general use? Don’t federal and state governments have a role to encourage change that has a multitude of benefits?

To be conservative and protect an industry is something I can understand, but to do so obstinately and close mindedly I do not. A discussion does need to be had. Human health does need to be protected, and new opportunities exist for the sugar industry that can compensate for a reduction of that product in processed food.

We need visionary leaders, that look to new solutions that sometimes kill two birds with one stone. Innovation should be more than an electoral slogan.

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Ftit tal-ġimgħat ilu, reġa’ qam kjass fl-Awstralja dwar il-kontenut taz-zokkor fl-ikel. L-Australian Medical Association (AMA) għamlet l-inkwiet tagħha ċar fuq l-implikazzjonijiet ħżiena għas-saħħa taż-żieda taz-zokkor fl-ikel ipproċessat, u fix-xorb li fih ħafna zokkor.

L-AMA, fost ħafna rakkomandazzjonijiet oħra, ipproponiet taxxa fuq ix-xorb b’zokkor miżjud sabiex jitnaqqas il-konsum, li n-nies jiġu nkoraġġiti li jixorbu l-ilma minflok, u li l-industrija tal-ikel tnaqqas il-porzjonijiet tal-ikel, u tnaqqas zokkor, melħ u xaħmijiet mill-ikel ipproċessat.1

Il-gvern Federali mallewwel stqarr li hu kuntrarju għall-ideja ta’ taxxa fuq iz-zokkor, bħal ma kien għamel meta l-ideja kienet issemmiet xi snin ilu.2 Huwa magħruf li l-industrija tal-ikel hija bil-qawwa kontra miżura bħal din, li għandha l-potenzjal li tnaqqas il-bejgħ ta’ ħafna prodotti li fihom zokkor miżjud.

Jien ngħid għalija, qatt ma fhimt kif flixkun tal-luminata, kollu zokkor, jkun jiswa inqas minn flixkun ilma fis-supermarkit. Jekk xerrejja tkun magħfusa fil-flus, faċli wieħed jifhem kif tispiċċa tixtri dak li hu irħas, fejn deċiżjoni fuq in-nutrizzjoni tal-familja tagħha tispiċċa tkun waħda sempliċement ekonomika. U f’dan l-isfond li nifhem, u naqbel ma’, l-għajta tal-AMA.

Huwa faċli li wieħed idur fuq l-industrija tal-ikel u jakkużahom li jpoġġu l-profitti qabel is-saħħa tal-bniedem. Madankollu xtaqt nagħmel osservazzjoni fuq parti minn din l-industrija, dik li tipproduċi z-zokkor fil-kannamieli għammiela tal-Awstralja, speċjalment fi Queensland, industrija li tant ipprovdiet opportunitajiet ta’ xogħol, anke jekk iebes, lill-pijunieri tal-immigrazzjoni Maltija f’dan il-pajjiż, wħud minnhom għadhom involuti bil-kbir sal-lum.

Din l-industrija hija kbira ferm. Iz-zokkor huwa t-tieni l-ikbar prodott esportat tal-biedja mill-Awstralja, wara l-qamħ, bi dħul ta’ kważi $2 biljun. 95% tiegħu jiġi prodott fi Queensland, u l-bqija fit-tramuntana ta’ NSW. 80-85% tal-prodott jiġi esportat, u l-Awstralja hija t-tieni (jew it-tielet, skont lil min tistaqsi) l-ikbar esportatur fid-dinja wara l-Brażil. Jingħad li din l-industrija timpjega 40,000 ruħ.3

Nifhem li huwa sensittiv li wieħed jitkellem fuq industrija li tipprovdi l-għajxien lil tant nies, madankollu kont sorpriż naqra li Fiona Nash, ex-senatur tal-Partit Nazzjonali u Ministru għas-Saħħa Rurali, kienet stqarret li lanqas biss riedet tiddiskuti l-affari.4

Jien nifhem li industrija taqbeż għall-interessi tagħha, għalkemm m’iniex se nidħol fl-ironija ta’ ministru tas-saħħa jipproritizza industrija fuq is-saħħa. Madankollu, nistaqsi għaliex lanqas jiġi diskuss is-suġġett? Mhux b’diskussjoni joħorġu l-problemi u jitfasslu s-soluzzjonijiet.

Jien nifhem il-biża’ li t-taxxa proposta fuq iz-zokkor miżjud tista’ twassal, kif inhu mistenni, għal tnaqqis fl-ammont ta’ zokkor kkonsmat bħala ikel mill-Awstraljani, li jwassal għal nuqqas ta’ dħul minn dan is-sors. Imma dan in-nuqqas jista’ jkun ikkompensat minn dħul ieħor, wieħed li għandu potenzjal sinjifikanti anke ta’ tkabbir.

Qiegħed nirreferi għall-industrija tal-bijofuwil, primarjament l-etanol, li jiġi prodott b’fermentazzjoni tal-glukows li jiġi, fost l-oħrajn, miz-zokkor tal-kannamiela.5 Illum fl-Awstralja huwa komuni li sewwieqa ta’ karrozzi tal-petrol jixtru l-E10, li huwa taħlita ta’ 90% petrol u 10% etanol, mingħajr il-ħtieġa ta’ modifikazzjoni tal-magna. Stati bħal NSW illeġislaw biex 6% tal-petrol li jinbigħ f’dan l-istat ikun etanol, u fi Queensland din il-figura hija ta’ 3%.6

Dawn il-miri jistgħu jiżdiedu mill-gvernijiet statali, li jwassal għal iktar bżonn ta’ materja prima għall-manifattura, inkluż mill-kannamieli. Jista’ wkoll jiġi promoss l-użu ta’ taħliti oħra ta’ bijofuwils li fihom etanol f’persentaġġ ikbar minn 10%, li komuni fosthom huma E25 (fil-Brażil), E85 (fl-Istati Uniti u l-Isvezja) u E100 (fil-Brażil). Dawn jeħtieġu modifikazzjonijiet fil-magna, għalhekk l-introduzzjoni ta’ dawn neċessarjament issir iktar bil-mod, imma jekk ma tibdiex ma tasalx.

Ta’ min jinnota l-preżenza tal-Brażil fix-xenarju tal-bijofuwils, fejn jidher ċar li bħala produttur globali tal-kannamieli qiegħed jagħmel minn kollox biex iwessa s-suq għal dan il-prodott ta’ importanza nazzjonali, u jisfrutta kemm jista’ dan ir-riżors tiegħu, u ilhom mexjin f’din it-triq mis-sebgħinijiet. Dawn il-ħsieb strateġiku huma impossibbli li jsir fl-Awstralja?

Wara kollox, l-E85 diġa jeżista fl-Awstralja, prodott mill-Caltex u l-United Petroleum, użat l-iktar fil-karrozzi tat-tlielaq. Fejn hi l-promozzjoni tiegħu għall-użu ġenerali? M’għandhomx rwol il-gvern federali u dawk statali li jinkoraġġixxu bidla li għandha benefiċċji biex tbigħ?

Li wieħed ikun konservattiv u jipproteġi industrija lest li nifhimha, imma li tagħmel dan bi stinazzjoni u moħħ magħluq le ma nifhimhiex. Diskussjoni hemm bżonn li ssir. Is-saħħa tal-bniedem trid tiġi mħarsa, u jeżistu opportunitajiet ġodda għall-industrija taz-zokkor li jistgħu jpattu għat-tnaqqis ta’ dak il-prodott fl-ikel ipproċessat.

Għandna bżonn ta’ mexxejja b’viżjoni, li jħarsu lejn soluzzjonijiet ġodda li kultant jolqtu żewġ għasafar b’ġebla waħda. L-innovazzjoni trid tkun mhux biss għajta elettorali.

1https://ama.com.au/position-statement/nutrition-2018#references, retrieved 30/1/2018

2https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/jan/07/australian-medical-association-wants-tax-on-sugary-drinks-and-ban-on-junk-food-ads, retrieved 30/1/2018

3http://www.sugaraustralia.com.au/Industry.aspx, retrieved 30/1/2017

4http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-24/sugar-tax-and-the-power-of-big-business/9353626, retrieved 30/1/2017